Connect with like-minded people with our pen- and phone-pal scheme

Loneliness Awareness Week will this year run between 9 and 15 June. VfL launched its pen– and phone–pal scheme to help people to form friendships and to offer one another reassurance that there is someone with similar experiences you can talk to. The scheme enables vegans and vegetarians aged 50+ across the UK to connect and form new friendships.

We developed the scheme to bring together people who may feel isolated because of their dietary choices and philosophical convictions. Some people may not know other vegans or vegetarians, while others may be isolated because of physical constraints. And some, especially older people, may not have access to the internet.

We've had some fantastic feedback so far, and we hope our scheme brings more people together.

Beginning new friendships

Many of you wrote to us to say you had met new friends through the scheme. One participant said: “I now have three regular penfriends – lovely!” Another told us she has made several penfriends, adding, “I've even met one on her day out in London.” Here's what another member told us: “I've made a couple of friends, and I am meeting up with one soon. I've also seen a couple more I'm going to write to.”

Communicating with like-minded people

One of our main reasons for launching the scheme was that many of our members suffer from isolation – many vegans and vegetarians don't know other people with similar opinions and life choices. Many also have difficulty getting around or feel uncomfortable using the internet. Here's what one participant told us after using the scheme: “Thank you for my first lists; how kind. I think your lists help us older people, and they are wonderful for those of us who aren't online – I'm so happy to have a phone friend. What a blessing to know my age group has other like-minded people." Another member said they experienced similar difficulties using the internet: “I have friends that only communicate through email, so this is really nice to get a letter.”

One member said they had felt isolated, and communication had been a hurdle for them: “I suffer with mental health problems, mainly due to isolation, but this is where VfL stepped in with the pen-pals scheme.” Meanwhile another member echoed what many vegans and vegetarians experience – that they did not know many people with similar views and life choices. “I have had a lovely card from a lady who loves animals, and doing Animal Rights work,” one happy member told us, “it’s so good to hear from people who feel like I do.”

If you would like to take part in VfL's pen– and phone–pal scheme, the details you supply to us about your interests will be circulated to other participants. In return, you will receive details from others taking part in the scheme. Updates are currently sent out three to four times per year. Your details will not be used for any other purpose or circulated to any third party. You can also choose how much of your personal information is shared with the other participants.

You can also connect with others online via our Facebook group, Mature Vegans and Veggies UK.